Detroit to lose 164 firefighter jobs

DETROIT, June 26 (UPI) -- Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has announced plans to lay off 164 firefighters due to a 13 percent cut in the fire department's budget effective next month.

Dan McNamara, president of the Detroit Fire Fighters Association, called the Monday announcement "indefensible."

"These cuts by the city will put its Fire Department and its residents at great risk -- increasing response times and further taxing an already greatly reduced work force," McNamara said in a statement.

Bing said he hopes the city wins a federal grant allowing the department to rehire 108 of the positions, the Detroit News reported.

"Since I became mayor, I've made public safety my top priority, and I've said I would protect the jobs of police and firefighters, but fiscal realities have made this untenable," Bing said.

Detroit's 2012-13 budget includes $250 million in cuts from nearly every department, meaning the loss of about 2,600 jobs. The fire department's budget will be trimmed to about $160 million, the newspaper said.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today's UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.